1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to accessories to be used in connection with beverage cans, more specifically, to a combination beverage can carrier device and drinking accessory.
2. Description of Prior Art
Modern cans for storing beverages, such as soda or beer, typically contain snap top openers which are pulled to gain access to the contents of the cans. The opening remaining after the opener has been be pulled can have sharp edges. A consumer therefore can be subject to potential danger when drinking directly from the can because of the sharp edges.
To reduce potential health hazards, auxiliary devices, such as cups, glasses or straws have been used in connection with beverage cans, but if such devices are not present, the consumer has no choice but to drink from the cans themselves.
Carrying beverage cans also can pose problems to the consumer. Typically, unless a carrying container is provided, a consumer cannot carry more than one or two cans in his or her hand at a given time. Therefore, containers which house more than one can have been invented, most notably the so called "six pack" which consists of molded plastic designed to house six cans in two parallel rows of three cans per row. Although the "six pack" has been of great value to the consumer with respect to handling and shipping, the "six pack" does not alleviate problems caused by the sharp edges in the opening to the can if the consumer chooses to drink from the can itself.
Prior to the present invention, no invention has been developed which can provide the consumer with the two-fold benefit of safe drinking from a beverage can without the use of an auxiliary device, combined with the convenience of a carrier device.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,075,721 to Hommel, U.S. Pat. No. 2,729,956 to Gilbert, U.S. Pat. No. 3,185,341 to Barbour, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,205 to Blow, Jr. et al., disclose respective attachments adapted to be mounted onto the upper end of a can to serve as an extended drinking lip so that the user does not directly touch his or her lips to the can when drinking. None of these patents disclose an attachment that is an integral part of a convenience carrier package, such as a carrier for six cans.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,202,448 to Stern et al., and 3,350,131 to Tanzer, disclose combined carrying units and coasters. In these patents, the carrying unit contains respective members which are adapted to fit over the top of a can and are detachable from each other so that each top is removed with each can. The covering which covers the top of the can is solid. In one embodiment in U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,131 to Tanzer, the top may be used as a drinking cup. However, this arrangement is obtained only when the top is physically removed from the can, is inverted and when the contents of the can are then poured into the cup. This arrangement is inconvenient in that the cup must be physically separated from the can to effectuate its use.
Therefore, there exists a need for a combination beverage drinking can accessory and carrier device whereby an accessory designed to be mounted onto the top of the can may be used to provide a lip for drinking the contents of the can without requiring the consumer to touch his or her lips to the can and without removing the attachment from the can, and where a plurality of accessories may be combined to form a carrier to allow the consumer the convenience of carrying several cans in one hand.